The Kurosawa Antique tales
by amal-rukia
Summary: Miu never understood what it meant to be loved, that left an empty hole in her heart, however, things started to change when she finally found a home, and a new family. Follows Yuuri's good ending. Yuuri and Miu friendship, mention of previous games in futur chapters. Series of one shots and drabbles.
1. Family

**So I'm back with another story, this one will be a collection of one shots and drabbles, mostly about Miu's life at the Kurosawa antique store!**

**Hope you like it! :) P.s: Yuuri's just the best Fatal Frame protagoinist ever in my opinion! :D Oh, and Miku's the worst mother ever! I think I'll write a one shot about her, I'm upset about what she did, she changed so much between Fatal frame 3 and 5 _ !**

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Family.

Miu would often wonder what the word family means. It was the biggest mystery in her life. She would often look at children holding their mothers' hand, and wonder what it feels like.

She couldn't help but envy those who knew. It made the emptiness in her heart even more painful.

It was unfair that her mother left her.

Lately, she started to notice a lot of things whenever she was at Kurosawa Antique. She would sit there, and watch _them_.

Yuuri Kozukata and Hisoka Kurosawa were the ones that she noticed first, she'd watch Yuuri tense whenever someone entered the store, and how Hisoka would give her a reassuring smile and take care of the costumers, or how she'd tell her to take a rest whenever she was exhausted. She saw the little things that Hisoka does to make the brunette feel better, and how hard working Yuuri could be just to prove herself to Hisoka.

She'd hear the store's owner praise the brunette whenever Ren mentioned her, she would hear her say that she sees Yuuri as her younger sister.

Miu admired their relationship.

Whenever Ren Hojo came to visit with his assistance Rui, she'd notice how close they were, Rui once mentioned that she thinks of him as family, but that didn't mean she wouldn't tease him and tell them how hopeless he is by himself.

Every time she saw all of them together, a strange feeling fills her chest, she couldn't explain it, it appeared every time she saw Hisoka asking Ren if he sold any book, the author avoiding the subject, and Rui making it clear that he didn't much to his dismay. She'd also see Yuuri, who was the less to talk, smile faintly at the scene.

Miu wondered, was she jealous of what they had? Or was it something else? It was a strange feeling, it was one that made her want to get closer to them, to solve this strange mystery.

She hated it when she couldn't understand something, she hated it when she couldn't get what she wanted, and most of all, she hated how it all made her feel lonelier.

Miu snapped from her thoughts when a cup of coffee was put on her table. "What's keeping you distracted? Hinasaki-san." Asked a gentle voice.

She looked at the brunette and sighed. "It's nothing important." She answered then took the cup in both her hands, lost in the brown liquid.

"Where will you go now?" Yuuri asked as she took a seat across her, her expression was worried.

"Anywhere, I don't have a place in mind." Miu shrugged and drank her coffee. She didn't have any place to go to, and she didn't have anyone waiting for her, she was on her own.

Yuuri remained silent for a bit, the silence in the room was comfortable, Miu was glad for that, she always had trouble communicating with others because of her sixth sense.

"You must have been lonely, all this time." The brunette said out of nowhere, the young Hinasaki was surprised, she didn't know how to answer that. "I was alone too."

Miu then remembered that she 'accidently' saw her past, with her gift. She was upset at the time, when Yuuri invaded her past, but when she saw hers, it saddened her.

Miu never had anyone, but the brunette had a family, she lost it in the blink of an eye, she couldn't imagine how painful it was.

Now they both know what the other went through, they didn't need to talk about it, as if it was a secret between them.

"I had nothing, and I wanted to go too. That was until Hisoka-san came, she told me I wasn't alone anymore." Yuuri stated, smiling at the memory, even though it was a bitter one. "She gave me a home, a family... we can't bring back what has been lost, nor can we replace it... but..." She stopped as if she was lost in thoughts.

"Kozukata-san, why are you saying this to me?" The raven haired girl asked, she was confused, she didn't understand where this conversation was going.

"Would you like to stay here with us?" Yuuri asked, her tone hopeful, so were eyes. Her question surprised the other girl. "You don't have to be alone anymore, I asked Hisoka-san about this, she wants you to stay too!"

"You don't mean that... no one cares about me. Not even my mother..." Hinasaki stated, her cheeks wet with tears, she didn't understand that strange feeling, the one that was burning in her chest, she wanted to believe that someone wanted her, but it was too good to be true.

No one wanted someone like her... right?

She was worthless, unwanted, useless... no one would accept her.

"Miu." The use of her first name shocked her, she raised her head and looked at _her_. "Please be part of this family." Yuuri stated. She was smiling brightly, it was strange to see that, a true smile.

She rarely smiled, but now that she did, Miu couldn't help but think how beautiful it was, it warmed her heart, it wasn't the smile of a liar, she knew it when people lied and faked smiles at her, however, this smile was a caring one.

Miu knew that she didn't have to worry anymore, she knew that she had a home now.

More importantly, she understood that strange feeling.

Isn't it what they call happiness?

"Thank you..."

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**I wrote this for you guys to enjoy, I'm sure a lot of you wanted to read something about Fatal Frame 5, and I wanted to give you that :) So I'm not waiting for any reviews, however I would truly appreciate it if you drop one or two.**

**You can also suggest an idea for the fic.**


	2. Moving in

**Back with a new chapter! :) Hope you like it! This time under the theme of moving in! By the way, I looked for Miu's name, and it means beautiful feather! Expect Fatal frame 1 and 3 references here!**

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Moving meant a new start, and it was the first step for Miu.

Here she was, in the Kurosawa antique store, a place to call home, a new start, a new family. She was excited, but also fearful, she never had a place that she actually called home, nor did she have a family.

Don't they say, home is where the heart is?

"There you go!" Ren put the last box and turned to her smiling. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, you've already done too much!" She answered and smiled. "I'm sorry for making you do this. Thank you."

"It's okay, I'm always here to help." He said before walking to the door. "Welcome to your new home, Hinasaki-san." He smiled and went downstairs.

His words made her smile widely, a new home, a new start.

Could this new start erase the pain of the past?

She looked at the smallest box and sighed, it contained her mother's belongings, she wanted something to remind her of Miku, so she brought them, even though she ignored what was inside, she never opened it before.

She was afraid of opening it, so she just stared at it.

"Miu?" Yuuri stood in the doorway. "I came to help you."

"Thank you." Miu said, but her eyes were still focused on the small box. She knew the brunette was giving her a questioning look, so she decided to answer. "It belongs to my mother."

"Oh." Yuuri frowned, and turned her gaze to the object. She knew how hard it was to lose a parent, she knew how painful it was. "I should leave then. I don't want to interfere with anything personal." She said and turned away.

"Wait!" Miu reached to her but stopped midway and pulled back her hand. Yuuri turned to her surprised. "I know this might sound stupid but, I don't think I can do it alone... I'm scared." Miu winced at her poor choice of words, she was indeed scared, scared of discovering her mother's secrets, of understanding her. It was a silly though to her, but she couldn't help it. Now she felt really stupid for asking her. "Please forget what I said... it doesn't matter."

Yuuri shook her head then walked and sat on the floor beside the box. "Open it, whenever you feel ready." She said, understanding the other girl's hesitance.

Miu nodded and smiled gratefully. She sat beside her and took a deep breath, she tried to gather up the courage to learn more about Miku, maybe that way she won't feel alone anymore.

She opened it, and looked at inside. There was a diary, along with photos. She started with the photos, the first one had Miku standing next to a young man, they were both smiling.

She seemed happy.

In another photo, she was standing next to a couple. Miu wondered who they were.

She then took the diary and glanced at Yuuri who nodded.

_Entry 1_

_I wonder how long has it been... since my brother and I started to see things other people can't..._

_I can't communicate with others because of it. Why do we have to be part of both the living and the dead's worlds, while we're supposed to belong with the living?_

_Mafuyu was the only one who understood me._

"Mom was able to see ghosts too?" Miu wondered loudly, as she stared at the page in wonder.

"That explains why you see them clearly." Yuuri stated then took one of the photos. "This man must be your uncle."

Miu nodded and turned the pages.

_Entry 2_

_I don't understand... why would mom do that?! Why would she hang herself? How could she leave us?_

_She was acting strangely lately, but I never thought she'd that..._

_I miss her so much. What if I see her ghost? I don't want to imagine it..._

_Mafuyu's mentor went missing. Brother said that he was going to look for him in Himuro mansion, but he didn't come back._

_I'm worried, I'm going after him._

Miu's hands were shaking, she heard of that mansion before, it was a place that everyone feared. It was said that long time ago, the mansion was haunted, those who went there never came back.

Yuuri knew that too, Ren was interested in these stories, and he told her about them, he said that a disaster happened there, ages ago.

Miu proceeded to read.

_Entry 3_

_It's been a long time since I wrote something._

_Mafuyu is gone... he stayed with her... Kirie, a ghost, that he barely knew. He didn't want her to suffer alone._

_How could he do that to me?! I went through hell for him! I survived death so many times, fought ghosts with a camera, experienced all sorts of terrifying things to get him back and he just..._

_Why did this have to happen...?_

_When I woke up, I was in front of the mansion, alone. All the once vengeful souls went to where they belong and the mansion was purified._

_What a fate...I think our family's cursed... I met my great grand-mother's ghost, Yae Munakata, she died the same way mom did, she hanged herself, her husband died in that mansion too, and now Mafuyu joined them._

_I can no longer see ghosts... I lost my abilities, but that doesn't matter, I saw enough ghosts for a lifetime._

_I feel so alone... I wish Mafuyu would just come back... I miss him..._

Miu could see tear marks on the dusty page, her heart ached. Why did Miku have to go through this? Why did she have to suffer this much? Maybe their family was really cursed. Now she understood what she went through, and mostly her words in her dream.

_"I wanted to go back to that time."_

Yuuri remained silent, her eyes focusing on the pages, her expression pained.

_Entry 4_

_I met Yuu, a good friend of Mafuyu, he took me to live with him, he said that brother wanted him to take care of me if anything happened to him._

_He lives with his fiancée, Rei Kurosawa, she is kind to me, oh and she's a photographer! I showed some interest in her work, and she asked me if I wanted to be her assistant, I accepted._

_They welcomed me to their home, I still miss Mafuyu, and I still see nightmares about the mansion and Kirie chasing after me, but I feel that it's going to be okay._

_Being with Yuu and Rei makes me feel warm._

"So the couple, its them!" Miu thought and looked at the picture.

_Entry 5_

_Ever since Yuu's accident, Rei hardly goes out, unless it's for work._

_I'm worried about her, she thinks that it was her fault that he died, she wouldn't believe me when I tell her it wasn't her fault._

_She started acting strangely, she's jumpy, and tired. She is having trouble sleeping, and she asked me to research lots of things lately._

_I wish she would just tell me what's wrong._

_I'm scared she'd go away too, I wish there was a way to help her, I don't want to lose her._

_Entry 6_

_Every night I see the same nightmare, I'd see myself in Himuro mansion again, but this time, it's not Kirie who's chasing after me, it's a tattooed woman._

_I know that Rei is having the same dreams too, I know that we are both cursed._

_It's because we survived, while our loved ones died._

_I don't want to sleep, I don't want to live it again._

_Entry 7_

_We're both going to die. There's no hope._

_Rei told me we're going to be okay, she said we'll make it through._

_We both know that they're nothing but words, there's no hope._

_The tattoos are all over my body, soon, I'll be gone too._

_It feels that tonight will be the last one..._

"Why did she have to go through that again?" Miu asked. "This is unfair..." She stated, angry at her mother's fate.

Yuuri sighed. "It really is unfair."

_Entry 8_

_I remember I was chasing after Mafuyu, in my dream, but then everything faded away, when I woke up, Rei was hugging me, she was crying, she said I was in a coma._

_I was confused, I didn't know why I survived, but then I realized what happened._

_Rei ended the curse._

_She told me that she met Yuu, and that she'll live even with the pain._

_He told her that as long she's alive, a part of him will live too._

_I never understood why we survived, but now I know why we were allowed to live._

Miu smiled in relief, and started to read the next page.

_Entry 9_

_What have I done?_

_I shouldn't have performed that wedding ritual!_

_I was so obsessed with the past, that I ruined everything._

_I also left without saying a word to Rei, I only left her a small note, I know she's worried about me, and I feel guilty for leaving her alone, she always treated me like a sister, and that's how I thanked her._

_I feel so sick, I feel so guilty, but it's okay, I won't live in the past anymore, I'm going to have a new start._

_After all, I'm expecting a child._

This was it. This was what she wanted, she wanted to know what her mother truly felt about her.

_Entry 10_

_I was blessed with a beautiful child, a girl._

_She lighted my world the moment I held her and looked at her, she was really light, as light as a feather, and she was so beautiful. So I called her Miu, a beautiful feather._

_The more I held her, the more my heart was healed._

_She's my only light in this dark world._

Miu's eyes watered as she stared at the page, her hands were shaking, and all of her emotions were fighting widely in her chest.

It was burning, it was hurting her.

She clenched her chest, trying to ease the pain, trying to forget it.

"You should stop!" Yuuri's urgent and worried voice said, she put a hand on her shoulder, and looked at her in worry.

"No." Miu shook her head and turned the last page. "This is the last step." She stated. Yuuri nodded but still looked worried.

This was the last page, the last step, and Miu's wound caused by her mother, might finally be able to heal.

_Entry 11_

_I can feel my life coming to an end, but Miu was still too young, how can I leave her? On the other hand, I know that Mafuyu's waiting for me, on the other side._

_Maybe it's for the best. I don't want her to watch me die, I don't want her to feel that pain, the same one I felt when mom left me. Maybe Miu will forget me if I leave, maybe it will be easier for her._

_It seems that Mafuyu and I are the same, leaving the living to be with the dead._

_I still regret leaving Rei, and now I have to leave Miu too._

_Such an ironic fate._

At that moment, there was a part that caught her attention.

_Miu, if you're reading this, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world._

_Don't you ever think that I left you because I didn't want you, or didn't love you._

_You're my precious light._

_There are so many things that I want to tell you, I wanted to watch you grow up, I wanted to be your shield, but I can't._

_I want you to live, Miu._

_Don't make my mistake, don't follow the dead, if you follow them you can't come back. As long as you live, a part of me will always be with you._

_I love you Miu, my beautiful feather._

Her vision blurred.

Her heart ached. It ached from pain, and from happiness.

Her mother loved her, she wanted to stay with her.

It hurt her to know that everything was stolen from both of them.

She finally got her answer, but it was way too painful, so she cried, she held the diary close to her chest and cried, the pain was unbearable, now a part of her mother was inside her.

Yuuri put an arm around her to comfort her, she needed all the comfort she could get.

When Hisoka came in, they were both asleep on the floor in a sitting position, Miu was still holding the diary, her head resting on Yuuri's shoulder. They both looked tired.

Hisoka sighed then smiled softly, she came back a blanket and wrapped it around them. "Sleep well." She whispered before leaving the room.

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**Hope you enjoyed this one! This fic is based on Miu's bad ending by the way. If you have a theme to suggest please go ahead!  
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	3. Pets

**Hi! I didn't have time to write lately, but here's a new drabble! I wanted to make something fluffy because last chapter was depressing ! Oh, and you can blame the fanarts for this chapter! Fans love to draw Yuuri with dog ears! They're obsessed with that and now I am too so don't blame!**

**Now, fluff time.**

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Chapter 3: Pets.

The rain was getting heavier and Yuuri wished she brought an umbrella with her.

She just wanted to buy stuff for the store, and now there she was soaking wet, walking as fast as she could to reach home.

However, she stopped when she heard a small and soft bark, when she turned around, she saw a brown puppy staring at her. He was as soaked as her.

She tried to ignore him, and continued walking, but the puppy followed her. She sighed then took out the cookies that she brought and give him one. He ate it with his tail dancing happily.

"There, are you happy now?" Yuuri asked, a small smile showing on her face, she patted him then resumed her walking, however, the puppy still followed her.

She felt truly annoyed.

When she came back, she was met with an upset Hisoka, she rushed to her, while Miu sat there breaking her focus from the book that she was reading and looked at them.

"You're soaking wet! Didn't I tell you to take an umbrella? You'll get sick now!" The older woman scolded, then stopped when she spotted something at the door. "Yuuri?" She eyed her suspiciously and crossed her arms.

"Well... he followed me." The brunette answered hesitantly, she didn't like it when Hisoka was upset.

The store's owner stared at the pet, while Miu brought a towel and handed it to the brunette.

"Ah, thank you." Yuuri was about to take it, but Hisoka took it instead and started drying the brunette's hair. "Hisoka-san! I can do it on my own!" She stated, feeling embarrassed. She sent Miu a look that asked for help, however, Hinasaki kept watching in amusement.

"I won't let you do anything because you never take care of yourself!" Hisoka stated. "I'm worried sick and you spend your time making friendships with pets under the rain!" She complained then took the towel and went upstairs.

Miu couldn't help but laugh at the whole situation, especially when she looked at the pair in front of her. The brunette and the puppy both had a sad look after Hisoka's scolding. The raven haired girl also noticed how the puppy's fur color was identical to Yuuri's hair, which only made things more amusing to her.

"You're enjoying this too much." Yuuri said to her, she was pouting like a child.

"Sorry." Miu stated, however, her smirk remained. She kneeled in front of the brown puppy and patted his head. "He's so cute!" He beamed at the compliment and looked at her happily. "Are you going to keep him?"

"It doesn't seem like he's going anywhere, he followed me everywhere." Yuuri answered and sat on a chair. "I don't think Hisoka-san will agree, besides, I never took care of a pet before."

"Really? I had a cat, she kept me company." Miu said smiling, but as usual a depressing thought came to her. "Well, that was _before _she died." She mumbled then frowned.

The puppy then surprised the brunette by jumping on her lap, he then stood and licked her nose then made a happy sound before sitting.

Yuuri looked surprised, she then ran a hand through his fur smiling. "I guess he likes me."

"He does! He's so cute! Can we keep him?" Miu asked excitedly, which was something odd to see.

"I don't know..." The brunette looked unsure, although she was enjoying the pet's company. Besides, Miu's 'puppy eyes' were hard to resist. "What should we name him?"

"Well..."Hinasaki crossed her arms and thought. The sound of the rain outside gave her an idea, so she beamed and voiced her thoughts. "How about Yuu?"

Yuuri blinked then looked at Yuu who wiggled his tail happily at his name. She chuckled. "Yuu it is then."

"Now hold on a second." Hisoka came back and eyed the girls. Yuuri froze, hoping that she was no longer upset. "I didn't agree yet." She stated then picked up Yuu from the brunette's lap. She stared at him until he barked softly and titled his head.

The store's owner crashed the poor creature with a hug. "He's so adorable! I'm keeping him!" She said then declared. "From now on, he's Yuu Kurosawa!"

Miu giggled at the funny scene, she decided that living here was more amusing then she thought.

However, Yuuri face palmed.

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**Hope you liked this! As usual, theme suggestions are always welcome! Reviews are welcome too ;)  
**


	4. Inspiration

**Hey guys! I wanted to post this chapter hours before this year ends! I hope this was a good year for you and wish that the new one is better! Happy new year! :)**

**Oh, and my headcanon turned out to be true, Yuuri is older than miu. Yuuri: 19, Miu; 17, Rui: 17, Ren and Hisoka; 23, but accroding to this story Hisoka is older, something is off with her age -_- . Hope you enjoy!**

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"So, what's bothering you this time?" Yuuri asked while she was arranging the coffee and tea box, she cast a glance at the author on the small chair across her desk.

"I don't have enough inspiration!" Ren exclaimed throwing his hands in the air, his voice carrying a panicked tone. "No matter what I do I can't think of anything to write about!" He took her hands when she got closer and looked at her pleadingly with his best puppy eyes. "Help me out here!"

"Euh…" She blinked at him then turned her gazes to Rui who is patting Yuu, and Miu who is reading a book.

Noticing Yuuri's silent 'help me', Miu put down her book. "Why don't you try writing a romance novel?" She suggested while Rui almost got a heart attack and stared widely at her. "Mix a bit of romance with a ghost story and people will be interested."

"That's a great idea!" Ren let go of Yuuri and turned to the younger girl, his wide grain was wiped away when a realization crossed his mind. "Actually, I don't know how to write romance… I was never in a relationship."

"Really?" She asked surprised, Rui stared at her sensei and Yuuri shrugged. "Well, maybe you should take notes from someone who knows."

"Can you help me?" He asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, but I was in few relationships and they were _really bad_." She answered and looked down, crushing all the hope Ren had.

At that moment, Hisoka came in, carrying some antiques in a bag. "Hey, I'm back!" She sang and was greeted by Yuu who barked happily. She then noticed how gloomy the author was and raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? Gloomy Ren."

"He wants some advices about relationships to write a novel." Miu stated and the brunette at the desk sighed.

_There it comes. _Yuuri thought.

"Really? Ren Hojo you have made the right choice to come here!" The shop's owner exclaimed and handed the bag to the brunette. "I am an expert!" She sat beside him and put an arm around his shoulder. "I have so many love stories that you're going to enjoy!"

Ren looked uncomfortable and avoided eye contact while his assistant was glaring at the raven haired woman.

Yuuri brought coffee and cookies and sat with the girls. "This is going to take a while." She stated sharing a cookie with her puppy. "You shouldn't have told her." She said to Miu and watched the author and the shop owner talk.

"Why?" The younger girl asked curiously and Rui giggled.

"It is because Hisoka-san never really had a love story." Yuuri stated, and Yuu jumped on her lap. "It's more like…"

"She clings to any guy she likes, flirts with him way too much and invades his personal space." The assistant whispered. "She always tries to hunt those poor guys, so there is nothing romantic in her stories."

Miu blinked then laughed softly, so that the woman won't hear her.

"There was this handsome guy that I met once, we fell in love at first sight and he asked me out!" Hisoka started. "He came every day to the shop just to see me! One day he decided to confess his undying love to me under the rain! It was so romantic!" She told him blushing at the memory, Ren just started at her blankly.

"Actually, she just grabbed his leg that day and it was raining, she was the one who confessed her undying love, then she made him go out with her." Yuuri explained and Hinasaki was trying so hard not to laugh.

Rui however, smirked and glanced at the older girl sipping her coffee. "That guy didn't come every day to see Hisoka-san, he came to see Yuuri!" She whispered.

At that statement Yuuri almost spilled her coffee, she started coughing while the assistant smirked. However, Miu only blinked.

"You see Miu, no human ever came into this shop and didn't develop a crush on her." Rui started, much to the brunette's annoyance. "Every guy AND girl who came here and saw her crushed on her!"

"Can we not talk about this?" Yuuri said staring at her coffee.

"Nope!" The assistant answered, then put an arm around her and grinned at Miu. "They call her here Yuuri Kozukata the heartbreaker!"

"Do they actually call you that?" Miu asked the brunette, wondering if the assistant was making it up.

"Sadly, they do." The brunette stated, clearly annoyed, and Yuu licked her cheek to comfort her.

"Oh, don't be like that, grumpy pants!" Rui said, her grin getting wider.

A customer came in and Yuuri got up to take his order. The assistant then changed to the seat next to Miu. "See? He's staring at her. He totally likes her." Rui watched while Miu narrowed her eyes at the guy. The brunette then brought him coffee and cake, and the poor guy tried to make a conversation, but failed under the brunette's cold gaze. "She's been cold again! I think that it became a habit." Rui kept commenting then turned to the girl next to her.

"You do have a crush on her, don't you?" She asked.

Miu blinked once, twice, then she answered. "No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"I don't!"

"Then why were you glaring at that poor guy?"

"Well why don't we talk about your crush on your sen-" Rui shut her immediately with her hand on her mouth. She looked horrified. The assistant turned to the author who was still talking with Hisoka.

Yuuri then came back and looked at the strange scene. When noticing her, Rui smiled nervously and Miu blushed. She eyed them slowly then she said. "I really don't want to know." She took another seat and gave her attention to Yuu, playing with him.

Rui let go of the other girl and Miu crossed her arms and pouted.

"So about that guy…" Rui started and Yuuri's eyebrow started to twitch.

"Ah that's it!" Ren got up feeling more depressed then before. "I'm going for a walk!"

"Can I join you?" Yuuri asked immediately.

"Oh please do! At least I know I won't hear anything about relationships from you!" He stated angry at the whole topic.

They both left.

"You made her angry!" Miu accused the assistant, glaring at her.

"Well if you didn't mention the romance novels maybe sensei wouldn't be so depressed!" Rui answered.

"What's going on?" Hisoka asked, she then sat next to them and smirked. "I want to know the _details_."

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**Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget to review! See you in 2015!**


	5. Nightmare

**Hey! I'm back with a new chapter! :) I hope you like it!**

**Theme 5: _Nightmare._**

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_She was at the lake again._

_The breeze hit her sleeveless arms, and it was colder than ever. The wind was howling, as if it was mourning for someone._

_It was too quiet._

_It was scarier than before._

_She hugged herself, trying to understand the situation. Why was am I here? She thought. She was confused, and she hated feeling that way._

_She then saw a silhouette in the water, walking forward, reaching for the other side._

_A gasp escaped her lips, and she ran forward, embraced by the emptiness and the coldness of the water, surrounded by the darkness and the wind's rage._

_She tried to reach for that person, she HAD to, but no matter how much she tried, no matter how much she shout, the silhouette remained out of reach, too far away, as if she was chasing after an illusion._

_And when she finally realized that her chase was pointless, she found herself drowning in the dark waters._

Gasp!

Miu woke up in cold sweet. She looked around as if she didn't recognize her room. She sat, and looked at her hands, they were shaking.

She ran her hands through her hair and groaned in frustration, because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't deal with her mother leaving, she couldn't heal the scars that were left.

She was _disgusted_ with herself, _she was disgusted with her weakness_.

_I'm okay, now, I'm over it. _She told herself again, but deep inside, she knew she was lying to herself.

She acted as if there was nothing wrong, as if she didn't just see a nightmare. That's why she wanted to become an actress, to hide her feelings, to lie, after all, that was the one thing she excelled at.

She flipped another page of the novel she was reading, while Yuuri helped Hisoka organize some new antiques. Costumers came and left, and yet she didn't notice anyone in the store, she felt so _lost_.

She probably didn't realize that she was staring at the same page for an hour.

"Are you okay?" She snapped from her daze to look at Hisoka who stood in front of her, her face showed nothing but concern. "You seem out of it today."

"Oh, I'm fine, I was just thinking about something." Miu lied, and she was relieved to see that Hisoka believed her, however, when her gaze met Yuuri's –who is sitting at the desk- she knew that the brunette saw through her lie.

She turned away quickly, hoping that the brunette won't inquire about it. Fortunately, Yuuri didn't say anything and resumed her work.

The young Hinasaki tried to focus on the novel, to distract herself from her fears, even for few minutes, but everything she did was pointless.

Everytime, her mind would wander back to the lake, to that silhouette, to her mother.

_I can't do it._

She sat up, her eyes only focusing on the door, she walked towards it, not bothering to look at anyone. "I'll go out for a bit." She said, before she left the store.

"_I'm not going anywhere."_

The words of her mother rang in her ears, as she sat on a bench in the park and watched children with their parents.

She knew her mother loved her, she finally understood her, but that didn't mean that the pain would just go away.

She wished that she found a way to stop her from leaving, to feel her tenderness again, even for a short while.

Why couldn't she get what she wanted for once?

She closed her eyes and sighed, feeling the soft wind brushing against her skin, for the first time today, the atmosphere was calm. She wanted that calmness to last, but the ache in her heart was too stubborn to let her rest.

Time flew, she didn't know how long, but she knew that she was here for a while, and she wasn't ready to head back home. She remained motionless, glaring at nothing and everything at the same time, until a soft and very familiar bark caught her attention.

When she turned, she saw Yuu panting and titling his head. Her gaze then wandered to the brunette standing next to the pet.

"How did you find me?" She asked, in a monotone voice.

Yuuri shrugged and pointed at her puppy. "Ask Yuu, he's the one who found you." She stated and sat next to her. Yuu jumped between them and snuggled next to Miu. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, looking at the deserted park.

"There is nothing to talk about." Miu snapped, her emotions taking the best of her. She felt bad yelling at Yuuri, but she couldn't control her words right now.

"Alright then." Yuuri said and pat Yuu's head, she didn't seem offended, she almost sounded emotionless, like she did when they first met.

Even though she started to show more emotions after the events with Oose, Miu could see that her cold gaze would come back from time to time. It scared her, it reminded of that time, at the lake, when she had to stop her from walking to her death.

She shook her head and looked down at her hands, she did not need to remember that place again.

"Why are you here?" She asked, her tone showing curiosity.

"I had to walk Yuu."

"At night?"

"Yes." Yuuri shrugged and didn't look at her. It was hard to tell if she was lying or saying the truth.

_This is awkward…_Miu thought as silence fell on them again. "You should go back, Hisoka-san will get worried."

"I won't go back without you." Miu turned in surprise at her words, and she found Yuuri finally looking at her, her eyes showing concern and determination.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice to me?" Miu asked, her voice cracking, her weaknesses showing. _How can she do that? How can she get me to open up so easily?_ She thought.

"Does there really have to be a reason?" Yuuri asked, her gaze softening.

"Of course there has to be one!" Hinasaki said, not noticing her voice getting higher. "People always ask for something back! They have always used me! What is it that you want?" She asked, her shoulders starting to shake. "My own mother left me! And when I finally found her, and thought that I'm finally over it, she came back to haunt me at night! She only comes back in my nightmares!"

She let her emotions take control, she was tired, and yet she didn't want to say how she felt out loud, she didn't want to feel exposed to someone. _Shut up, just shut up! _She scolded herself.

"I concealed my feelings for so long! I learned how to let go of them! But when I saw you… at that lake, when you were walking away, so close to death, it was as if my chest was burning, it reminded me so much of _her_." She confessed, almost sobbing. "It was as if I was watching mom walk away again, and I couldn't reach her, it hit me, and I wanted to save you, I didn't want you to go to the other side like she did!"

Miu looked down, as if she was ashamed. She felt small, and weak, she wished that she would just disappear.

As the silence became too heavy, she looked up and her lips parted, as if to say something, but then she was shocked by an act.

Yuuri wrapped her arms around her, almost protectively, and this gesture shocked her. She froze.

"I know that you've been fighting for so long on your own." Yuuri said, her arms tightening around the younger girl. "It's okay to let others share your burdens with you."

Her embrace was warm and comforting.

Miu hugged back, she let her tears flow, she wanted to let all of her pain go. "Who are you really?" She thought out loud, and the brunette only smiled in response.

Miu might always want to be held in her mother's arms, but right now, Yuuri's embrace was enough for her.

* * *

**So, I hope this chapter was enjoyable! ^^ I wanted to show a bit of Miu's feelings here, since moving on is hard, but as long as she relies on others things get easier. Oh, and there is a bit of contrast between this chapter and the 2nd, they're both centered about Miu and Miku's relationship, and in the 2nd chapter, Miu reached to grab Yuuri's hand and ask her to stay, but decided against it, this time it was Yuuri who reached for her.**

**Please don't forget to review ^^ **


	6. Work

**New chapter! I hope you like it! ^^**

**Theme: Work.**

* * *

"Yuuri, I told you to take a break didn't I?" Hisoka asked, rubbing her temple. Yuuri barely acknowledged her. "Why are you still working?!"

To say that the brunette was getting on her nerves was the biggest understatement of the week, she's been trying to separate her from work, but all her efforts were in vain.

"What do you expect me to do?" Yuuri asked in monotone, while she wrote some things down.

"Go out for a bit!" Hisoka stated.

"Why?"

"Because you're working too hard and need to rest and enjoy yourself!"

"I am enjoying myself."

Hisoka groaned and looked at Miu. "Say something!" Miu shrugged, not knowing how to deal with the brunette. "Then we do this the hard way."

She left for few seconds then came back with an old and dusty rope. "Now please stay still."

"Wait what are you-"Yuuri said, trying to protest, but the older woman tied her hands firmly then smirked.

"_Now_ you can't work, can you?" Hisoka asked, satisfied with the results.

Yuuri however, seemed horrified. "You can't do this!"

"I just did."

"But the store! Who will do all the work? Who will reorganize everything and buy the coffee and clean the place and…and." The brunette started babbling, it was cute for Hisoka and Miu, however it was obvious to them that the brunette was panicking.

"I'll do the work." Miu stated, surprising them. "I thought that since I'm living here, I should start helping you." She explained, not knowing why she felt so nervous.

"Okay then!" Hisoka said and clasped her hands. "Now Yuuri, be a good girl and tell Miu what to do! I have a request to look for some missing object, bye!" She left as quickly as possible, leaving the two girls staring at each other.

"Please let me work." Yuuri pleaded, with the best puppy eyes she could master. However, Miu only smirked. "Fine." Yuuri sighed then tried to write something with her tied hands. "There, this is the list of chores that I have to do." She gave the raven haired girl a paper.

Miu gasped at the very long list then glared at the brunette. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Not really." Yuuri answered then sat at a table and watched the younger girl drown in misery. "You know, if it's too much for you, just untie me and I'll do all the work." She stated, slightly amused.

"Are you challenging me?" Miu turned to face her, a somehow a dark aura surrounding her. "There is no way I'm letting you get what you want you cute idiot workaholic!" She shout, pointing at her then left to buy whatever the store needs.

Yuuri blinked then looked at Yuu who jumped on her lap and stared at her happily. "Should I be offended?" She asked in confusion, the dog only titled his head.

Miu returned after a half hour, she then started to organize the new antiques without acknowledging the brunette.

While focusing on her work, she could feel a warm breath on her ear. "Actually, I don't think that would fit there." The voice whispered in her ear.

Miu jumped backwards, she put a hand on her heart, and her face's color turned from normal, to pale, then to red. "You scared me!"

"I was just making sure you're doing it right." Yuuri explained, with an innocent expression that didn't fool the raven haired girl.

"I'm doing it just fine! It's not like I need your help!" Miu stated, slightly calming down. "And I won't untie you!"

"Please?" Yuuri asked, pouting, while Yuu did the same behind her.

Miu stared at them, wondering how they could make the same gestures at the same time.

"No." She deadpanned.

"Please!"

"Nope."

"I'll be your dog for a week." Miu then made a thoughtful expression. "Wait, are you really considering it?"

Hinasaki smirked. "I can also make you wear dog ears accessories." She stated, imagining the brunette with dog ears, which was really cute.

"On second thoughts, don't untie me." Yuuri said, sparing herself from the embarrassment.

"Too bad, you would look really cute." Miu's hands caught her mouth, and she blushed at her words, the brunette, however, was clueless. "I'm going to clean upstairs!" Miu said before she ran upstairs with the speed of the light.

Just then, a costumer came in, he froze when he saw Yuuri's tied hands. "_How can I help you?" _Yuuri asked with a cold voice and glare that sent chills through the man's skin, the poor guy ran away leaving her confused. Once again she looked at her clueless pet. "Did I do something wrong?"

Meanwhile, Miu was cleaning Hisoka's room. As she dusted the shelves, two books fell, she kneeled to pick them up, but then she looked at them with disgust and horror. "100 ways to hunt men?!" She read the title of the first book. "How to catch a date?" She read the other one and frowned. "Am I living with some kind of hunter?" She asked herself then shook her head. "I don't blame Ren for not being able looking at woman…"

She then went to Yuuri's room, but, instead of cleaning, she spent 10 minutes glaring at the brunette's messy bed. "Seriously? Like SERIOUSLY? Couldn't she just fix it up when she woke up? Is she trying to kill me with all this work?!"

She stopped complaining when she noticed a diary on the desk. She approached it slowly and stared at it. She read it before, when all what was written on it was about Yuuri's struggle with her 'condition'.

She really wondered if she was okay now, if she wouldn't try to end her life again, if she came to accept how things are and truly decided to move on.

"You can read it if you want." Yuuri's voice startled her. "I have nothing to hide, so I don't really mind."

"I wasn't going to…" Miu started, then frowned. "I was just worried…"

"There is nothing to worry about." Yuuri said with a reassuring smile. "Now will you please untie me?" The door slammed on her face. "I'll take that as a no."

Miu leaned against the door and sighed. "Idiot." She whispered, a smile tugging on her lips. "Now, it's time to finish the cleaning already!"

After another hour of working, she collapsed on the chair behind the desk and closed her eyes. She didn't know how the brunette could do all this work every day.

She opened her eyes and found Yuuri handing her a cup of coffee. "Wait, how did you…? I didn't untie you!"

"Yuu bit the rope and cut it, I should have asked him to do that from the start." Yuuri explained, and smiled as Miu accepted the cup. "To tell you the truth, I actually had fun."

"You had fun teasing me and watching me fail at the work." Miu deadpanned, and sighed.

Yuuri then ruffled the younger girl's hair with affection, making her look up at her in surprise. "Actually, you did great today." Yuuri said and smiled at her.

Miu only blushed and sipped her coffee.

Maybe this day wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**Please don't forget to review ^^  
**


	7. Valentine's day

**Hey! I'm so sorry for this late chapter! It was supposed to come out on valentine's day but I'm sick :( anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy it!**

**Theme: Valentine's Day**

* * *

Valentine's Day is an occasion to celebrate love, and an opportunity for people to confess their feelings, a beautiful occasion for so many.

It certainly wasn't beautiful for Yuuri.

"So, why are you breaking down right now?" Miu asked, resting her chin on her palm and watching the brunette sink in her despair, much to her amusement.

"Valentine's day and Hisoka-san." Yuuri muttered, putting her head between her palms and sinking even further into her despair, then she pointed her finger at the decoration. "And that."

Much to her dismay, all the shop was decorated in hearts.

"Keep doing that, I'm enjoying your suffering." Miu stated, smirking at the brunette.

"You're horrible." Yuuri commented. "You're still upset over last time, aren't you? I gave you the real list of chores, I didn't add anything."

"You could have at least arranged your room OR warned me about cleaning Hisoka-san's room! Now I can't look at her straight in the eyes!" Miu stated, clearly annoyed by the brunette. "And besides, you were distracting me!" She said then added. "It's not like you distracted me because I thought you were cute or anything!" She then shut her mouth and hid her face, from embarrassment.

"Now look who is breaking down." Yuuri said with a smug look, although she was clueless to what the girl just said.

"I hate you." Miu stated.

Yuu then came through the slightly open door that leads upstairs and jumped into his owner's arms. He had sign attached to his collar.

Yuuri stared in horror. "What kind of the monster could do this to you?!" She asked and took it off, hugging her pet.

Miu took the sign and read it. _We wish you the best Valentine's Day ever! You won't regret spending it in our store! _She smirked at Hisoka's writing, however, she saw a sentence that made her freeze. _P.s: You might also be lucky enough to go on a date with Yuuri kozukata! Stay as much as you want here! _

Miu was glaring at it. She tore it to pieces.

"Why did you do that?" Yuuri asked, oblivious. Miu shrugged.

"Miu why did you do that?" Hisoka came in and looked at the sing sadly, she then noticed the girl's glare, and if looks could kill, Hisoka would have kissed her life goodbye. "Why are you glaring at me?" She asked as she smiled nervously.

"You know why." Hinasaki muttered and the store's owner gulped.

"Anyway… I was wondering if you could help me make chocolate, Miu." The older woman asked gently. "I can't ask Yuuri to help because she gets grumpy on this day and makes awful chocolates." Yuuri rolled her eyes.

"I'm not too good…" Miu started but the older woman dragged her to the kitchen.

"It's just me and you now buddy, I won't let anyone touch you again." Yuuri comforted her dog and hugged him closer. She developed some kind of motherly attitude towards the pet.

"I'm not good at making chocolates." Miu said, but the woman ignored her and prepared the ingredients. "Hisoka-san, listen to me."

"Don't worry! I'm going to tell you a secret! You can only make great valentine's day chocolate if you're thinking of someone!" Hisoka exclaimed and faced her with a confident smile. "You've been in few relationships before, right?"

At the mention of relationships, Miu's expression darkened, sending shivers through Hisoka's skin. "I had few boyfriends, the first one was a jerk, the second was a diva, and the third was a playboy and few others. No relationship lasted for more than a week."

Hisoka gave her a look of sympathy, but Miu shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter, I never felt anything towards them, so it's better this way."

"Do you have a specific type?" The store's owner asked, out of curiosity.

Miu hummed, lost in thoughts before answering. "Well, I like a person with light brown hair and eyes, who could understand my silence, a person who is kind and caring, who can make me smile, tease me, and make me get flustered for nothing…" She stopped as she realized that this was far from describing her type, she describing someone.

Hisoka only smiled and started making her chocolates, while Miu stood there confused by her own words.

Later, Ren and Rui came in. The author eyed the store then sighed in relief when he didn't see the owner, while Rui rolled her eyes behind him.

"Welcome." Yuuri said with a smile and Yuu wiggled his tail happily. "I haven't seen you in a while." She stated.

Ren shrugged and took the seat in front of her, Rui sat at one of the tables looking really bored.

"Oh, hey Ren-san." Miu came out of the kitchen and sat next to Rui. "What's up with you?" She asked the other girl.

"It's Valentine's day." Rui muttered and crossed her arms. "The day that makes single people suffer."

"You're so desperate." Miu commented, smirking at her friend's grumpiness. "Why don't you just confess and avoid all of this drama? It's starting to get boring." She said, resting her face on her palm. Rui only scoffed and looked at her sensei.

"How are your stories going so far?" Yuuri asked the author and handed him a cup of coffee.

"I'm stuck." Ren answered and frowned at the brunette. "People seem to like romance stories more than stories about ghosts and mysteries. I need to write something that will catch their attention, but I'm not good at romance."

"If you're going to write something just to please people, then give up on being an author." Yuuri stated simply and he gave her a look of surprise and confusion. "You love writing, right?" She asked. He nodded and remained silent. "Then you should write to please _yourself_, not others. If you're not satisfied with your work, then what's the point?" She explained.

Ren didn't say anything for a few seconds, he was deep in thoughts. "You're right Yuuri, I'll give it my best!" He exclaimed as a smile formed on his face. He then took her hands. "You're a life saver Yuuri! This bothered me for weeks, thank you!"

At that moment, Rui grabbed Miu's arm and tightened her grip on her while glaring at the pair.

"Hey!" Miu half whispered, half yelled at the girl. "You're hurting me!"

"Look at them!" Rui snapped and looked at them in horror. "Do you not see that sparkle? She's stealing my sensei!" She started freaking out while Miu winced at the grip.

"Could you give a sheet of paper and a pen? I feel like writing down some ideas right now." Ren asked, his tone full of hope and determination. Yuuri nodded and gave them to him. "The protagonist of the story is going to be a pretty woman, who is an introvert, and a suicidal person with a tragic past! She also has a strong sixth sense! I'm sure a protagonist like that will catch the reader's interest!" He explained excitedly and started writing down whatever came to his head.

Yuuri almost face palmed at the description. "_Does he realize that he's describing me?"_ She thought to herself than shook her head and turned her attention to Yuu.

"They have chemistry Miu!" Rui stated and sank into her seat. She then turned to her friend and was surprised to see the distant look she had while looking at them. "Hey, are you okay? You seem… distracted?"

"Oh, sorry…" Miu snapped from her thoughts and apologized, but she still looked a bit distracted.

"Wait, could it be that…" Rui started then moved closer to her and looked at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "You really like Yuuri! I only joked about it, I never thought that it was true!" She whispered with excitement and smiled cheerfully.

"Wh-what?! No way!" Hinasaki moved away with a look of disbelief. "You're saying nonsense!" She stated and looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"Really?" Rui asked then shrugged. She either didn't believe her, or she was disappointed. "When you first came here, you hardly talked to any of us, except for Yuuri. You spend most of your time with her, you open to her, and you show more emotions when you're talking or arguing with her than us." She said casually as if she was stating facts.

The raven haired girl frowned and remained silent. She couldn't deny any of this. It's true that she started trusting them and enjoyed their company, but she liked spending time with the brunette more than anything.

Soon enough, customers started to come, and some guys started to hit on Yuuri, but it was all in vain. Miu and Rui noticed the brunette's twitching eyebrow, they feared that the moment she snaps, no one will leave the store alive.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Rui asked nervously, she could feel the brunette's dark aura. "I never saw Yuuri angry, and I don't know what might happen if they get on her nerves."

An idea struck the young Hinasaki, and she smirked at her friend. "Come with me." She took her hand and dragged her upstairs.

Few minutes later, she pushed Rui into the café, while ignoring her protests.

Everyone turned to the girl and stared. She was wearing a maid outfit, and a cat ears and tale accessories. The assistant blushed furiously.

"So cute!"

"Is this a boy or a girl?"

"Adorable!"

Rui then looked at Ren, he avoided eye contact immediately and resumed his work. The assistant's jaw dropped, her outfit was too girly, and he was able to look at her mostly because she could be mistook as a boy.

The poor girl stopped functioning due to the shock.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." Miu whispered to the brunette, who took her coat and followed her outside.

"Thank you." Yuuri let out a big sigh of relief not that she was away from all the guys hitting on her. "You really have some strange outfits." She said, smirking.

"Now you know what I have to deal with at work." Miu answered, rolling her eyes. "I still think you'd fit with the dog accessories." She stated, with a smirk.

The brunette rolled her eyes, and they walked in the snow filled streets.

The streets lights were brighter than usual, and every restaurant or café they passed by was crowded. People are celebrating Valentine's Day with the ones they love.

"So, did you ever have anyone special in your life?" Miu asked, out of curiosity. She never saw the brunette interested in anyone.

Yuuri groaned immediately. "No, I never liked anyone. Besides, who would put up with me? Did you know that Hisoka-san put all those cameras in the store because she was afraid I'll try to suicide again?" Yuuri said, as her smirk grew wider.

"Don't say that so proudly idiot." The raven haired girl scolded her and pinched her cheek.

"Ouch! Sorry."

"You're hopeless." Miu said and shook her head. "I'm hopeless too, I am cold to people, I hate touching them, I always keep my distance from them…"

"You hate touching people and yet you pinch me." Yuuri muttered and rubbed her cheek. "You've gone soft, Hinasaki."

"Shut it, Kozukata."

When they reached the park, Miu was lost in her thoughts once again. A snowball hit her head and snapped her from her train of thoughts. She turned, annoyance and anger showing on her face. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You seemed distracted." Yuuri answered smirking, she had another snowball in her hand, ready to be thrown. "So, are you going to get your revenge or not?"

"Oh, it is on." Miu stated and prepared her own snowballs.

Yuuri chuckled and avoided the snowball, then she threw one of her own.

The snowball fight lasted for long minutes as neither of them wanted to give up yet. The brunette avoid another attack and she threw her last snowball, which hit Miu right in the face.

Miu fell on her back and huffed. "That was pure luck. And I'm out of ammo."

Yuuri chuckled and leaned down. "My victory!"

Miu then caught her and pushed her down, making them both fall, she then struck the brunette's face with snow. "I got my revenge!" She raised her arms in victory and gave the brunette a smug smile.

"Alright, you win. Now get off me." Yuuri chuckled.

Miu got off her and laid beside her on the snow, they both stayed like that, watching the sky. "I can't believe I spent Valentine's Day with you." Hinasaki said, chuckling, her mood improved a lot after this small fight.

"Yeah, sorry I'm not some prince charming, that's all you can get." The brunette answered, her hands resting on her stomach. "I guess this is the first Valentine that didn't suck."

"You still got a snowball in your face." Miu said smugly.

Yuuri then smirked and pinched the girl's cheek.

"Ouch!" The raven haired girl rubbed her cheek and pouted.

"Now we're even." Yuuri said and closed her eyes, smiling. "This was really fun, Miu, thanks."

Miu then took a moment to look at the brunette, the way she was smiling with her eyes closed, she looked so peaceful, and beautiful.

Miu wondered why her heart was beating so fast at the sight.

Meanwhile, in the store, Rui was cursing Miu's name and ripping off the maid dress.


	8. Coffee

**So... its been a while since my last chapter, sorry I had a writer's block ^^'**

**Theme: Coffee**

* * *

"I'm back!" Miu said as she came into the store, two customers just left. She found Hisoka cleaning their table.

"Welcome back!" The older woman smiled at her. "So, how did it go?" She asked.

"It is just a commercial." Miu answered and took a seat. "I'll audition for a new movie soon, I don't want to be a model any longer." She explained tiredly.

"I thought you didn't mind being a model." Hisoka said and sat before her.

"That's true, but what I want is to be an actress." Hinasaki stated then looked at her curiously. "Hisoka-san, why did you open this store?"

"Oh, it belongs to the family, passed down by my grandfather. It was just a café, but I added the antiques to it."

"Why antiques?" Miu asked.

"It's because every object in this store shares its own story." Hisoka started, a smile showing on her face. "They all had their owners before, and memories from them, so it will be a waste to throw them away. I started thinking that way after I discovered my abilities." She explained and stared at the antiques. "That's not weird, is it?"

"No, not at all." Miu reassured her. "I find that interesting."

"You seem to really like that hairpin." Hisoka commented and pointed at the hairpin.

"Oh, it's from my mother." Miu stated, unknowingly touching the object. "I've had it ever since I was a child, I'd hate to take it off."

It was bit strange for her to have a conversation with the store's owner, usually, they're never alone. Miu found this a bit comforting, Hisoka was easy to reach and a really nice person.

Yuuri then came in carrying groceries bags with a grumpy look on her face.

"What took you so long?" Hisoka asked and checked if there was any animal following the brunette again.

"Can you believe that every shop I went to was either closed or ran out of coffee?" Yuuri complained and went to the kitchen while Yuu followed her happily.

"I should do this task next time." Miu said. She noticed how every time the brunette went to buy something she either gets caught into a storm or walks miles to find one open store or anything strange that comes to mind. She was convinced that brunette has a very bad luck.

"That would be great, thank you." Hisoka thought the same.

Yuuri came back and took a seat. She looked around and sighed in relief at the empty store.

"Stop being happy every time the store is empty. We need money to live." Hisoka scolded her, clearly unamused.

"I'll stop when you no longer buy gravure magazines and hide them under your bed." Yuuri said with a smug smile and both Miu and Hisoka paled. "You're in some of them, Miu." She added.

Miu hid her face with her palms embarrassed. She certainly wished they would never see that. "I'm keeping my distance from you, Hisoka-san." She stated with a low tone and the store's owner pouted.

"Oh, I have an idea! How about we have a coffee competition?" Hisoka announced cheerfully.

"What's the point?" Yuuri asked gloomily while Miu raised her eyebrow at the random suggestion.

"It's just for fun!"

"Hisoka-san, you just want someone to make you a cup of coffee." The brunette deadpanned.

"Well, Yuuri, if you do it, then I'll give you extra work." Hisoka stated, making the brunette's eyes lit up.

"Cute hopeless workaholic." Miu thought to herself. "What do I get?" She asked turning her attention to the oldest woman.

The store's owner smirked and whispered something in her ear before glancing at the brunette. Miu's eyes widened then she nodded.

Yuuri rolled her eyes and left to the kitchen.

"So, what did she say to convince you? She asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger girl.

"Head accessories." Miu answered with a mischievous smile, causing the brunette to stare at her in horror.

"You two are evil." She muttered and started making coffee. "Something on your mind?" She asked as she noticed the younger girl's silence.

"Talking about gravure magazines made me remember how you invaded my thoughts by using your vision." Miu answered, glaring at her.

Yuuri avoided eye contact even though she didn't look guilty at all. "Ah, you're still angry about that?"

"No, more like embarrassed about what you saw." Miu muttered, blushing. She really was beyond embarrassed. She wondered what crossed the brunette's mind when she saw that. "You probably thought that I was like those worthless actresses…"

Yuuri's eyebrows narrowed as she seemed to concentrate on something.

"You… don't remember it, do you?" The young Hinasaki's question came out more like a statement, as she stared in disbelief. "You're hopeless."

Yuuri only pouted before something came to her mind. "The bikini!" She stated, proud that she remembered something.

Miu looked in horror then grabbed her by the shoulders shaking her. "Don't say it that loud! Also how is that the only thing that you remembered? Idiot!" She scolded her before letting her go.

"Was there something else I should remember?" Yuuri asked as clueless as ever.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't remember it."

"I don't care about what you did in the past." Yuuri started. "What matters to me is that you are here. I won't judge you for anything." She said with a warm smile and Hinasaki looked away.

"J-just make that cup of coffee!" Miu said. She was grinning and blushing, to think that the brunette didn't judge her like others made her really happy, and at the same time, her gaze made her heart beat faster. _How can she do that to me? _She thought.

"Won't you start making coffee? I'm already done." The brunette asked as she poured down the coffee into a beautifully decorated cup.

"Well… the thing is… I don't know how to make coffee." Miu admitted.

"You did not just say that." Yuuri said staring at her, before glancing at the door.

Suddenly, Hisoka barged in, staring at the younger girl in disbelief. "You don't know how to make coffee?" She asked, her gaze fixed on her. Miu wondered if the woman was eavesdropping on them. "You must learn how to make it! This is unforgivable!" She exclaimed approaching her.

"Here we go again." The brunette muttered and took few steps back.

"I don't really want to." Miu said, feeling a bit worried. The store's owner was really unpredictable and she didn't want to deal with her.

Apparently, Hisoka ignored her words and kept walking, so Miu did the only thing she could think of; she tried to run.

Yuuri sipped her coffee, ignoring the strange scene, involving Hisoka chasing after poor Miu. Even Yuu decided to join in.

"What's up with you and coffee?!" Miu yelled as she ran to the brunette and hid behind her.

"Coffee is the most beautiful thing in the world, Hinasaki-san!" Hisoka answered as she tried to get past Yuuri and catch the girl.

"I don't want to!"

"You should!"

"You can't force me to do this!"

"I'm not forcing you! I'm just showing you a new way of life!"

"You two stop right now!" Yuuri yelled making them both stop. Their little argument got on her nerves, and she really wanted to enjoy her coffee. "Hisoka-san, if Miu wants to learn, I'll help her instead. Please stop running around and turning the kitchen into a mess or I'll make you two clean deal." She stated calmly, but they both felt as if she just scolded them, so they looked at each other guiltily, even Yuu looked down.

"_How was she able to make us feel so bad?" _They both thought and left the brunette to enjoy the calmness.

A bit later, the brunette came out with two cups of coffee for them. Hisoka smiled at her, and Miu sipped hers calmly.

Miu was never a coffee person, she didn't even like it, but ever since she started living here, she couldn't help but think how much warming and comforting it was.

Maybe it was because of these little moments that she gets to share with people she cares about, just through that simple cup of coffee.

"Sometimes, life is merely a matter of coffee, and whatever intimacy a cup of coffee affords." Hisoka stated happily, as if she was aware of the raven haired girl's thoughts.

"You really love coffee, don't you?" Miu commented with a smirk.

"Sometimes, the warmth of a cup of coffee, is enough to make someone feel safe and happy, even if it is for a few short minutes." Yuuri answered, losing herself into the warm liquid.

Miu couldn't help but think, how much coffee reminded her of Yuuri.

They are both so warm and welcoming.

She smiled as she sipped it, maybe she started to like coffee a bit more.


	9. Thunder

**Here is the new chapter! But its kinda short, sorry! I hope you like it, also, if you have enough time to write a review thatwould make my day ^^**

**Theme: Thunder.**

* * *

Raining days were certainly Miu's least favorite. She always liked sunny and warm weather, those days always make her feel better, rainy and cloudy ones get on her nerves.

She could see the rain drops slipping down the store's window. The sound of it pouring down rang into her ears. Oh, how she hated that.

"You seem grumpier than usual." Yuuri commented as she played with Yuu, who was jumping up and down happily.

"Says the grumpy one." Miu muttered, resting her cheek on her palm and watching the pair.

"But I'm not grumpy." Yuuri stated and lifted Yuu to her head level, who in return titled his little head to the side and watched the raven haired girl with curiosity.

Miu chuckled. Yuu always made her smile whenever she felt upset.

Yuuri handed her the pet then sat next to her. "What's wrong?" She asked, concerned.

"It's nothing." Miu answered, turning her gaze to puppy sitting on her lap.

Yuuri then surprised her by taking her hand. "You can tell me." She said softly, gazing at the younger girl.

Miu was frozen under that gaze. She felt as if her heart was about to jump out of its cage. "I…"

Suddenly, the sound of the thunder startled her-and Yuu too who ran away to hide, scared-, and she immediately clung into the older girl.

Yuuri's eyes widened as she was surprised by the action. She wrapped her arms around the shaking girl, worried about her. "Miu…?"

"The day mom left me…" Miu started as she buried her face into the brunette's shoulder. "It started raining, I kept waiting and waiting for her to come home, but she didn't. The thunder started striking, and I was alone and scared…" She started to cry, unable to hold the tears back. Thunders always triggered those bad memories that she tried to push away. "Ever since then, I'm afraid of thunders…"

Miu felt embarrassed after revealing it. She found her fear of thunders childish, and even thought she knew the brunette wouldn't make fun of her, she just wanted to run away and hide anywhere.

"But you're not alone anymore." Yuuri said, trying to comfort her.

"I know… but now I'm even more scared! What if you leave me too?" Miu asked, looking at the brunette fearfully. Yuuri stared at her sheepishly. "I don't think I can handle it." The raven haired girl confessed then looked away.

To say that Yuuri was shocked was an understatement. Hearing how much she mattered to the girl surprised her, and at the same time, it made her a little happy.

"_What was I thinking?! Well done you idiot!" _Miu scolded herself and avoided the brunette's gaze.

She then felt a soft and warm hand touch her cheek, she turned back and her eyes widened as the Brunette kissed her forehead.

She froze, feeling the heat rise up to her head, and her heart racing even faster, making her forget about thunders outside.

Yuuri pulled away and looked away a bit embarrassed by her bold gesture. The room fell into an awkward silent that lasted for few minutes, until the brunette looked back and decided to break it. "I won't leave you." She stated, sincerely, her gaze not leaving the younger girl's.

They were staring at each other silently, and for an instant, it felt like they were the only two persons in the whole world.

"You okay now?" Yuuri asked, with a concerned tone. The younger girl only managed to nod, as if she lost her voice. "I'll get you a cup of water." She said, and gave her a last smile before leaving.

Miu just stared at the window, watching the rain fall down, but its sound was replaced by a louder one, the sound of her heartbeats.

She clenched her chest, hoping that she could get rid of that loud sound, but she couldn't.

The feeling she felt was strange, it was warm, exciting, and yet scary and painful.

Then it all made sense.

All those little moments, all those smiles, and stolen glances…

It hit her hard. The realization hit her as hard as thunder.

Meanwhile, in the writer's apartment.

"Alright, I'm going to write something, I will write something, right now!" Ren said as he stared at the blank pages on his desk. He then slammed his head on the desk over and over again. "Rui! I have a writer's block! I'm done! My life is over!" He shouted grasping his head with his two hands and trying to squeeze what little motivation and inspiration he had. "It is driving me crazy!"

Rui who was sitting on the couch, shook her head, thinking of how hopeless her sensei is.

The phone's ringing snapped the writer out of his misery. "Oh, the phone, Rui, can you please answer it?"

"Sure." The assistant said, and got up to answer the phone. "Hello?" She answered, but then her eyes narrowed when she heard the caller's voice. "Hey there, Hinasaki Miu. You have some guts calling after what you did last time!" She exclaimed.

"Rui…" Miu started, the assistant could tell she was troubled just from her tone. "I think I'm in love with Yuuri."

Rui blinked once, then twice, then thrice.

"You WHAT?!"


	10. A familiar face

**Well, guess who's back? :D**

* * *

It was an unusual morning at the Kurosawa antique store.

Miu could feel Rui's stares about to burn holes into her soul. "Could you stop looking at me like that?" She asked, getting fed up with the situation.

"I was just teasing you, and thought that it was a simple crush, but to think that it is love…" Rui stated. She crossed her arms. She then looked at her with a curious yet concerned look. "Are you sure you're not mistaking it for something else?"

"Of course not!" Hinasaki snapped, causing her friend to flinch. She then looked down guiltily. She was never so sure in her while life. The way her heart would race, the way it fills with joy at the sight of her… it even pains her sometimes, but now she knew why.

She was desperately in love with Yuuri.

"You're my senpai when it comes to loving hopeless idiots!" Miu stated.

"Hey! Don't say that!" Rui pouted. She didn't like it when people mention her hopeless love life. "I'll try my best to help you! We got to support each other!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you. Ren-san is too oblivious and clueless. He's an impossible case." Miu explained.

"May I remind that we're dealing with Yuuri Kozukata the heartbreaker? A clueless workaholic who attracts every human but has zero interest in anyone and is also a coffee addict?" The assistant stated the facts while the actress sank further into her chair.

At that moment, the store's front door opened.

"Speaking of the heartbreaker." The assistant muttered as she turned to look at the brunette.

Yuuri walked in, carrying some bags.

"Oh, hey Rui. I haven't seen you since Valentine's day." She stated, with a strange glint in her eyes and the assistant could sense an unpleasing comment coming. "You know, you looked great in that maid dress." Yuuri stated with a smirk, and Rui felt the last bit of her dignity leave her.

Miu laughed at the memory while her friend glared at her.

"One day, I will have my revenge." Rui said and crossed her arms.

"Cheer up. You did look cute!" Miu complimented her. "I'm sure Ren-san thought the same."

"He couldn't look at me in the eyes for two days."

"Oh." Miu couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend.

Why was she surrounded by such clueless people?

Hisoka then came downstairs. "Oh, you're back." She said before going to the desk. "I have some work for you."

Yuuri's eyes lit up immediately at the mention of work.

"_Stupid workaholic."_ Rui and Miu thought.

"You see, our neighbor's cat is missing, and she wants us to find her." Hisoka stated, smirking at the brunette's annoyed reaction.

"Hisoka-san, I'm not a cat person." Yuuri admitted while Yuu barked. "Yuu agrees with me. You go instead." She added.

Hisoka shook her head and pushed her towards the door.

"I'm too busy. Now go." The store's owner claimed with a smile.

"You're just lazy!" Yuuri muttered grumpily and left the store.

Rui shook her head and smiled at the older woman. "I have to go now. Sensei asked me to pick some books for him." She said then got up.

"Do you mind if I tag along?" Miu asked and the assistant nodded.

They both left and Hisoka stared at Yuu with an evil smile. "It's just you and me now. Time for some cosplay." She stated and the poor pet looked at her fearfully.

Meanwhile, the brunette wandered around in an abandoned building. Her abilities led her there when she tried to follow the pet's shadow.

"How did my job lower from finding missing people into finding missing pets?" She complained, hoping not to find any ghosts around. She saw enough ghosts for a lifetime, and she wasn't in the mood.

She stopped when she heard a hiss to her right. She was surprised to see the cat glaring at her, with some now born kittens behind her.

Her heart warmed up at the scene, and a smile found its way to her lips. Her hand reached slowly to the mother. The cat sniffed her then recognized her. She would take care of her whenever the owner was on a trip. The neighbors-the single ones- liked Hisoka, so it wasn't unusual for them to ask her to look out for the pets.

But of course it was Yuuri who had to do it while Hisoka did god knows what.

She looked around for something that she could use to carry them. She ended up carrying them in an old box that she was lucky enough to find.

She almost bumped into someone on her way home, she hoped she didn't disturb the cats.

"I'm sorry-" She stopped her apologizing when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"You might want to watch where you're going, _lost puppy._" A beautiful woman, with short raven hair smiled at her. She looked in her early thirties, even though she was older than that.

Yuuri smiled at the familiar face. "Rei-san?"


	11. Old wounds

**Hi everyone! I'm back with another chapter! Thank you for your reviews and for welcoming me back! Here is a longer chapter for you!**

**I admit that writing Rei was a bit tricky, but I tried to imagine what she would be like after so many years.**

* * *

"So, what brings you here?" Yuuri asked, still carrying the box.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Rei asked in a teasing tone. They were walking together, heading to the Kurosawa antique store.

"Of course I'm happy to see you." Yuuri smiled. "You didn't visit in a while."

"Sorry about that. I was a bit busy. Hisoka called me the other day so I decided to pay her a visit." The photographer answered. "Did you make any friends, lost puppy?"

"Could you please drop that nickname?" Yuuri rolled her eyes. "And I'm already friends with Ren!"

"Kid, by friends I mean someone who isn't as introvert as you are. No offense."

"That's pretty offensive." The brunette mumbled. "Besides, there's also Miu and Rui."

Rei stopped and her expression became unreadable. "Miu Hinasaki, right?"

Yuuri looked at her surprised, wondering how she knew about her, then realization hit her.

The woman Miku Hinasaki mentioned in her diary was _this _Rei Kurosawa.

She really was clueless.

"C'mon puppy, let's go." Rei gave her a pat on the back and resumed her walking.

"_Please _drop the _nickname_." The brunette sighed and followed her. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long day.

Hisoka was enjoying a warm cup of coffee, when the two came in. She stared for few seconds before rushing to hug her guest.

"Rei! I missed you! How are you? Are you eating well? Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Hisoka. You're my cousin, not my mother." Rei said. Her smile grew as she hugged back her younger relative. "But before you start grilling me with questions. I'd love a cup of coffee."

"Yuuri! Make some coffee!" Hisoka said to the other girl who was putting the cats in another room. She then looked at her pet in horror.

"Hisoka-san! What have you done to Yuu?!" Yuuri exclaimed as she tried to free her dog from the clothes he was forced to wear.

"Yuu?" Rei's expression was blank. Yuuri and Hisoka froze. They forgot that Yuu was the name of her dead fiancé. "He's so adorable!" The photographer lifted the pet and her eyes wandered from him to the brunette before voicing her thoughts. "He looks a lot like you, Yuuri."

"Rei-san, _no_."

"Especially the puppy eyes."

"I do not have puppy eyes."

"Yes you do." Hisoka intervened and the brunette sighed in defeat before leaving to make coffee.

"How are you holding up?" Rei asked her cousin, as her playful expression turned into a concerned one. The deeper meaning of the question was clear. It was about what happened on Mt. Hikami. Her cousin told her everything.

"I'm fine." Hisoka assured her.

"What about Yuuri?" Rei asked. "She wasn't doing very well. Even we thought she got better, she was still cold and distant. It's been two years."

"She changed in a short amount of time. It almost felt as if what happened on that mountain gave her the closure she needed." The store's owner explained with a smile. She was always concerned about her assistant in the last few years. She even feared that she was going to make the same mistake after she started getting to close to ghosts again.

"It looks like ghosts did what we couldn't achieve." The photographer rested her face on her palm, as her thoughts wandered back to the past. "They always do."

"Don't say that. If you weren't here, I'm sure she would have gave up earlier." Hisoka said, and the conversation ended as Yuuri put the cup on the table.

Miu walked home after she and Rui parted ways. She was about to open the store's door when someone from inside beat her to it. She recognized the woman immediately. She was the woman in her mother's picture.

Rei couldn't tear her eyes away. She couldn't help but think of how identical they were. She was seeing the ghost of a bright girl she used to know.

She knew that old wounds were going to open, but she wasn't ready for this yet.

Few minutes later, they were sitting at a table in the store, in an awkward silence. So awkward that even Yuuri couldn't stand it.

"Just talk already!" She said clearly annoyed.

"What is it puppy? I thought you liked silence." Rei teased and Miu glared immediately at the use of the nickname.

"Comfortable silence, Rei-san." She answered, not bothering to say anything about the nickname anymore.

"Why are you here?" Miu decided to ask.

"This place belongs to my family." But I guess that's not really what you want to hear." The photographer answered, her hand playing with the ring necklace around her neck. "Hisoka called me one morning and told me that Miku Hinasaki's daughter is here."

"Then she told you what happened to my mother."

"She's dead." Rei stated so calmly that the young Hinasaki could feel her insides on fire.

"How can you say that so calmly? Wasn't she your friend?" She stood and slammed her hands on the table, never breaking eye contact.

"I do not recall someone abandoning others being worthy of the title friend!" Rei's calm voice was starting to slip into anger.

"Why didn't you look for her?! Why didn't you stop her?!" Miu asked. She felt so angry and sad and she just wanted to blame someone, and the woman across her was the perfect target.

"I wasn't going to waste my life looking for someone who did not want to be found!" Rei yelled and her words hit the other girl harder than they should.

After all, she spent many years doing that one thing.

"You're the worst!" She said before rushing upstairs.

"Miu!" Yuuri called after her then sighed and rubbed her temples. "I knew this was going to happen." She muttered under her breath and followed the younger girl, while Rei sat there looking blankly at the door.

Yuuri knocked on Hinasaki's door, hoping to get an answer. "Miu, it's me. Please open the door."

"No." Yuuri was surprised by how small her voice sounded behind the door. "I want to be alone."

She rested her forehead on the door and sighed. The younger girl was just starting to heal from her mother's death, but this had to come up. She decided not to push her and walked away, but stopped when she saw the store's owner.

"I heard the whole thing." Hisoka said with a reassuring smile. "How about you go downstairs and let me talk to her instead?"

"But…" Yuuri started and Hisoka gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your girlfriend." Hisoka winked before walking to the room, while Yuuri just stared at her embarrassed.

"Huh?" She wondered, feeling her face heat up a little then sighed and decided to go downstairs.

Rei's head was resting on the table and she was holding something in her hand.

"Rei-san. What are doing?" Yuuri stared at her blankly.

"Drinking. You serve beer to the regulars, right?" Rei answered with a silly grin before taking another sip.

"How much did you drink?"

Rei burst out in laughter before staring at her blankly. "Enough to be dead drunk. Come sit here Yuuri-chan!"

Yuuri was starting to think that jumping off the cliff might be a good idea.

She sat across her and glared as the woman took kept drinking.

"I looked for her, you know." Rei admitted, and Yuuri's glare left as she focused on what the woman was saying. "I spent two years looking for her, and when I found her, she was with her daughter. I didn't know what to do. I thought that she moved on with her life, and that I would be nothing but a reminder of a dark past."

"That's not…" Yuuri started, but the more she thought about it, the more she understood where the woman was coming from.

"Puppy, you get it, right?" Rei asked. "You always understood me, even if you're the most clueless person I ever met."

The brunette glared at the nickname and the somehow offending words. "I know this is hard for you, Rei-san. However, that doesn't mean you get to be harsh towards Miu. She's suffering as much as you are." She said in a scolding tone.

"Hey! She was harsh to me too!" Rei pouted. "Why are you being so overprotective?"

A drunk Kurosawa was a pain to deal with. It was a lesson the brunette learned the hard way.

"_Rei-san._"

"Okay, sorry." Rei sighed and her expression changed from playful to sorrowful in a second. "She just looks so much like her! I thought that I mattered to her! She just left without a word… She should've trusted me…" She was crying at this point.

"You _did _matter to her. I'm sure." Yuuri smiled brightly, remembering the diary she and Miu read. "I think that you and Miu should give each other a chance. You were hurt by the same person, and you can heal together. One thing I know for sure is, Hinasaki-san cared about you both, and I'm sure she would want you to be friends."

Rei just stared at her for few seconds before smiling and patting her head. "You just upgraded from _lost _puppy to _wise _puppy." Yuuri groaned. "Thanks for the advice. I should go now. It's getting dark." She tried to walk but almost fell if Yuuri didn't catch her.

"What are you saying? You're drunk! You're spending the night here." Yuuri said. She had her arm around the drunk woman and helped her walk.

"Oh look at you, my prince charming." Rei teased, as she let the younger girl drag her.

"I swear, I'm the only adult in this building." Yuuri complained.

She ended up passing out on the sofa in the office after giving Rei her room. It was a long and overwhelming day, and she was too tired.

She then felt a blanket covering her and she heard someone talking. "When will you start taking care of yourself, idiot?"

She opened her eyes to see Miu looking away with a visible blush.

"Miu, how are you?" Yuuri sat up and asked her.

"I…" Miu sat beside her and looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry about earlier." She then felt Yuuri's hand grip her own. She looked at the brunette, and was speechless by the intense look in her eyes.

She didn't trust herself under that gaze, so she rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. Yuuri was surprised by the contact, but she didn't say anything, instead she just tightened her grip.

"Hisoka-san knocked some sense into me. I was an idiot." Miu admitted. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"

"Well… I didn't realize they were the same person, and she looked younger in the picture." Yuuri admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. "And Kurosawa is a very common name, you know!"

Miu couldn't hold back the laughter. She looked at her with a bright smile. "You really _are _clueless."

It didn't take long for them to fall asleep, and of course, Hisoka teased them in the morning.


	12. What's behind the sunset

**Yo! I'm back. This certainly is an unusal chapter, but it was interesting to write. I hope you have fun!**

* * *

Being a photographer had its perks. It gave the ability to notice the smallest details. Like how the light was a contrast to the girl's depressed expression. Or how haunting the look in her eyes was. However, being a photographer was also a living hell because she was struggling to not take a picture of the girl sitting in the corner.

"I need to change my career." Rei's thoughts were interrupted when a cup of coffee was put on her table. "Took you long enough." She complained to her cousin who just smiled and sat across her.

"I have other customers, you know." Hisoka replied.

"What's up with that girl over there?" Rei asked. "I see her here often, and she has a depressing aura around her."

"Her name is Yuuri. Her family got into a car accident and she was the only survivor. I stopped her from ending her life." Hisoka explained as her expression became sad. "Hey, Yuuri! Could you come over here?" She called and the girl did what she was told. "I'd like to introduce you to my cousin Rei. She's a photographer."

"Nice to meet you!" Rei said with a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Yuuri bowed, showing her respect. "I'm sorry, but I must leave now." She said and left the store.

Hisoka sighed while Rei just stared at the door. She hated this aura surrounding the girl. It was too familiar to her, and it was as if she was seeing a younger version of herself.

Survivor's guilt was a pain to deal with.

The second time she saw her, she decided to sit beside her.

"Yo!" She greeted her.

"H-hi…" Yuuri greeted back, unsure how to talk to the woman.

"You're Yuuri, right? What a pretty name!" Rei complimented. She knew the brunette would have trouble speaking with people after what happened, so she was trying to be friendly but without crossing the line.

"Thank you, Kurosawa-san."

"Call me Rei." She replied. "I keep getting called Kurosawa too many times at work that I started to hate it. They don't even use it in a friendly way. They're like 'hey Kurosawa! Come over here! Take a shot over there! Stop taking photographs of random things!' I'm a photographer! Of course I'll feel tempted to take pictures of random things."

"Rei-san it is then." Yuuri said. "Why did you become a photographer?"

"I guess, I wanted to see the things that people often ignore. The little things that add beauty to what's around. But then, I started to realize, that a picture is something that lasts. It's like capturing a memory that would never fade, even if we forget it, it's there." Rei explained, with a warm smile. "Yuu was fond of the idea."

"My fiancé. He died 15 years ago." Rei said. Her smile was now sad and longing. That was when she noticed that Yuuri's eyes had some emotions in them. So she decided to tell her story. "It was a rainy night and I was driving the car. Then it all happened in the blink of an eye. We crashed, and when I woke up, he was dead. Sometimes, I still feel like it's my fault."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Yuuri said, looking down. Her hands were gripping each other in a forceful manner, as if she was trying to conceal something.

Nothing was said for the rest of the day. Yuuri came home only to be met with a silent and saddening house. She didn't bother to eat anything, or even change her clothes. She threw herself on her bed and lay awake for long hours.

She didn't get much sleep that night.

Another day passed, and she could barely eat and she didn't get enough sleep. She washed her face and tried to look at the mirror, her eyes would rise slowly to meet her reflection, but every time before they do, she would close them.

She didn't want to look at herself.

She hated herself.

She should have died instead, and yet here she was, alive and acting like a zombie.

She felt her heart stop as she heard a ghost whispering. She covered her ears and started saying the same sentence she memorized.

"I'm not sick anymore… I'm not sick anymore… I'm not sick anymore…" She rested her back against the door and slid down. "I'm not sick anymore… I'm not sick… I'm sick… I'M SICK!" She yelled as her whole body started shaking.

This was her new reality, and she couldn't escape it. The best she could do was distract herself.

Rei visited the store the next day, and she was surprised to see Yuuri doing the chores.

"She came here and told me she wanted to work." Hisoka explained with obvious concern. "She's doing too many tasks and even repeating some. I'm afraid she would exhaust herself."

"Let he do it." Rei simply said. "She needs a distraction. This all too hard for her. She's coping better than I did. I kept moping around and sleeping all day. I don't think I would have survived if it wasn't for…" She stopped herself.

"I tried to find her. I'm sorry." Hisoka stated, wishing she could ease her cousin's pain. "She doesn't want to be found."

"She took care of me. Yet I wasn't there for her." She said. "I guess it doesn't matter now. I have to leave now." She said and left the store.

Hisoka sighed then heard a loud crash coming from the office. She went to inspect it and found the brunette on the floor with a pile of books and files around her.

"Sorry! I'll put them back!" Yuuri said and hurried to clean the mess, but the store owner stopped her.

"You're going to take a pause and eat something. You look exhausted." Hisoka said and stopped the brunette from protesting. "If you really want to work here, than you need to take care of yourself." She said sternly.

Yuuri sighed then nodded. She didn't feel like eating anything even though her body was desperate for food. She ate two or three bites from the food that Hisoka prepared, at least she made some progress. She couldn't eat anything for days.

She sighed as she sat in the desk. The store owner had to leave to find a missing object, and the brunette had to sit there and deal with customers.

She couldn't help but feel nervous whenever she saw people's shadows pass by the store. She wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone. She cursed mentally when a man walked in.

"Um, hello." He avoided her eyes and seemed really awkward. "I have never seen you here before… Is Hisoka here?"

"I'm sorry, she left earlier." She answered and thought that he might be a friend because he called her by her first name. "You can wait for her, she won't take much." She said then immediately regretted the words.

"Oh, thank you." He said and took a seat.

She couldn't help but notice that he looked troubled. "Can I help you with something?"

"I came to ask her to look for a book for me. I keep losing my stuff everywhere." He said. "Ah, where are my manners? My name is Ren Hojo, I'm Hisoka's friend. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Yuuri Kozukata, nice to meet you too." She said and was surprised how easy it was to talk to him, maybe because he seemed as awkward as she was. "Wait, I heard your name before, you're a writer, right?"

"Yes. I only wrote one book. I'm not sure about my next work though…I feel as if something is missing. I am starting to think that I should give up and find a new career."

"Do you mind if I… read what you wrote? You can't figure out if something is missing or if everything is fine on your own. That's what readers do." She said.

Ren looked down at the notebook he was carrying then handed it to her. "I appreciate that. I hope you won't be disappointed."

It didn't take Hisoka long to come back, and Yuuri had to go home. She rode her bike, heading home. The sound and the sight of cars made her feel uneasy. They reminded her of the tragedy. She felt empty, but at the same time, it felt as if there was a rage inside her. She started cycling faster, wishing that maybe if she exhausts herself, those feelings would go away.

She slowed down when she saw someone familiar standing in the empty road and photographing the sunset. She stopped, got off her bike and walked towards the person.

"Rei-san?" Yuuri asked and her suspicions were confirmed when Rei turned to her. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm enjoying the beautiful sunset." Rei answered, smiling. "What are YOU doing here?"

"I was heading home." The brunette answered and stared at the sunset. "Are you happy? I mean… even after you lost someone so important to you?"

Rei looked at her with surprise then her expression became thoughtful as she wondered how to answer. "I guess you could say that I'm satisfied."

"Satisfied?" Yuuri asked and titled her head in confusion, which made the photographer chuckle.

"You look like an adorable lost puppy, did anyone tell you that?" She asked and the brunette just looked at her unsure how to feel about the strange comment. "Happiness and Sadness don't last, they come and go. Being satisfied is like a balance between them, it feels good."

"I am even more confused right now." Yuuri said then sighed.

"You look troubled."

"Yeah."

"How about you let it all out? There is no one here. Look at the sunset and yell with your highest voice." Rei said. "It makes you feel better."

"That's…" _stupid_. That was what Yuuri wanted to say, but at this point, she didn't care anymore. She took a deep breath and yelled towards the sunset. "BRING THEM BACK! BRING MY FAMILY BACK!" She felt her body shaking as she poured her heart out. She still couldn't cry, but letting out all of the frustration and anger inside her was better than nothing.

Rei just watched her with a knowing smile. She knew healing wasn't easy, but one step after another, it could be achieved.

The next morning, Yuuri asked Hisoka to let her live with her. She wanted to leave her old life behind.

_**2 years later.**_

She felt cold. Her clothes were drenched with water and her legs could barely keep her standing, but at the same time she felt warm and free.

She was crying her heart out, holding into a ghost, as warm as the sunset. It was hard to believe that such warmth could come from the dead.

She felt herself pulled away, and when she took a good look at the ghost, she lost her breath at the stunning sight.

Ouse wasn't corrupted anymore.

"I feel as though the curse has finally being lifted. And so, I shall go alone." Ouse spoke softly. "Your glance has saved my soul. I leave my last thoughts with you."

Yuuri felt the weight of the words, digging into her soul. She wanted to say something, anything, but she felt overwhelmed.

"I am so glad it was you."

She look around in wonder. She never noticed how beautiful the mountain was, or maybe because the curse hid its beauty.

She took away Ouse's pain, and Ouse's took hers.

They were both free.

The idea of saving someone felt so strange.

If she was able to do something like that, then maybe she wasn't such a lost cause, right?

It's been a week since what happened on that mountain. An unexpected visitor came to the store. Miu Hinasaki. Yuuri hasn't seen her since everything ended, but she found out about what happened to her mother.

She put a cup of coffee on the Raven haired girl's table, snapping her from her thoughts. "What's keeping you distracted? Hinasaki-san." She asked.

Miu looked at her and sighed. "It's nothing important." She answered then took the cup in both her hands, lost in the brown liquid.

"Where will you go now?" Yuuri asked as she took a seat across her, feeling worried.

"Anywhere, I don't have a place in mind." Miu shrugged and drank her coffee.

The brunette remained silent for a while. She gathered her thoughts before speaking again.

"Would you like to stay here with us? You don't have to be alone anymore, I asked Hisoka-san about this, she wants you to stay too!"

"You don't mean that... no one cares about me. Not even my mother..." Hinasaki stated, her cheeks wet with tears.

Yuuri knew what she was thinking and feeling at the moment. She experienced it.

_No one wanted someone like her... right?_

It was a question that haunted her so many times whenever she was around the Kurosawas or Ren.

"Miu." Yuuri spoke, almost scolding herself for using the girl's first name. "Please be part of this family." She said, smiling.

She didn't know what she wanted, or what to do. She was still lost, but even all she could was to make someone's life easier, then that was enough for now.

"Thank you…" Miu spoke softly, overwhelmed.

She felt satisfied.

* * *

**Yuuri is the hardest character to write, confirmed. I think that's what's so great about her, it's hard to tell what she's thinking. I hope I did her justice with this chapter! Oh, and in case you forgot, the last scene here is a short version of the first chapter, but from Yuuri's point of view.**


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